Booksellers` Plot Thickens

Wave Of Superstores To Wash Over Chicago Readers

Once upon a time the bully of bookstores in the Chicago area was Kroch`s & Brentano`s. The Kroch`s on Wabash Avenue, in particular, set the standard for size and variety.

Then in 1983 came Crown books. The national retailer set up stores outside high-rent malls and offered discounts of up to 40 percent on best sellers.

Now the battle-of-the-bookstores is moving to a third stage-the superstore.

A wave of discount stores is landing this summer on Chicago-area towns such as Wheaton, Oak Brook, Northbrook and Evanston. Their arrival is causing established chains like the 85-year-old Kroch`s to beef up inventories and cut prices to defend their turf.

That won`t be easy. Publishing powerhouse Barnes & Noble plans to open three new stores in the Chicago area and Crown, not to be outdone, is countering by setting up more than a dozen superstores.

Crown has thrown itself into the superstore concept since opening its first 2 years ago. The retailer plans to open 5 in the Chicago area by Christmas and is negotiating the building of 10 more.

Some superstores are being located uncomfortably close to established stores.

In Oak Brook, a Barnes & Noble store of more than 20,000 square feet is being completed across the street from the Oakbrook shopping center, a stone`s throw from the 16,000-square-foot Borders, now 3 years old.

The stores will offer identical 30 percent discounts on hardcover New York Times best sellers, but neither store claims to be in competition with Crown. Both Borders and Barnes & Noble say they aim to promote customer service and a pleasing ambience.

Despite the similarities, one Borders manager said she does not expect a fight but seemed confused by the Barnes & Noble choice of location.

``It`s odd they would move right down the street,`` said Jennifer Scheuing, a manager at Borders Oak Brook store. ``Certainly we are doing well, and I don`t think our customers will switch stores.``

In August, a 24,000-square-foot Barnes & Noble is scheduled to open in Evanston across the street from a 5,000-square-foot Crown on Sherman Avenue and next door to a Kroch`s & Brentano`s less than half the size of the new store. In November a 20,000-square-foot Waterstone`s will open in Chicago, across the street from Kroch`s 4,000-square-foot Water Tower store.

Virtually all the Barnes & Noble stores will resemble the 15,000-square-foot store in Wheaton, which features extra-wide aisles and library-like seating. But their longest suit will be greater selection and high volume that allows them to discount heavily.

At Super Crown bookstores, such as the one in Vernon Hills, those discounts run the gamut from best sellers to audio books. Kroch`s discounts best-selling hardcovers by 25 percent.

Some experts say the discounters are helping to revitalize the industry, which is flourishing, growing by 7.2 percent in 1991. That`s the fastest growth since 1989, according to an annual report released Wednesday by the New York-based Book Industry Study Group.

The appeal of these large bookstores lies not only in competitive pricing but in their use of space and flexible hours.

In Barnes & Nobles, customers can browse until 11 p.m. every night, 2 hours later than at Super Crown. Super Crowns offer child play areas.

But some say the push for bigger does not mean better when it comes to bookstores.

Many book buffs prefer the old-fashioned approach of places such as Stuart Brent Books, 670 N. Michigan Ave., where there is a coffee table in back for browsers to sit around and, on occasion, chat with the owner.

Dennis Blitz, who works for a Chicago publisher, said he shops for best sellers at discount superstores but comes to Stuart Brent for backlisted titles and because he likes the knowledgeable sales staff.

But the superstores are not to be denied. And, with a few exceptions, they are not to be found inside large malls.

That`s because mall stores are becoming a liability for booksellers. At Kroch`s, sales for the 20-store local chain are down slightly the last 2 years, due mostly to the performance at the 10 mall stores, according to Bill Rickman, Kroch`s president.

``The trend is very specific,`` Rickman said. ``The mall stores have dragged us down by double digits while most of my non-mall stores have been showing nice healthy increases the last several years.``